Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[fisherlady]

And some sort of recent phone pictures... I got a bit over run with boat issues, work and baking for the vet's picnic. Finally had a few minutes to go through some snapshots to upload.

A recent sunset while I was out on a standby call at work...

Mindy keeping chicken feet warm...

A couple of hens with their chicks last month. I think I told this story already but I am running on practically no sleep and don't want to look back to check, so bear with me if I am repeating.... Brownie actually wasn't broody when we got some day olds for another hen with a failed hatch. Long story short that hen rejected the chicks and we had to figure out what to do with them....so we went out and got Brownie off of the shelf in the coop and brought her in, put her in a dog crate with the chicks and by the next day she was tending them as if she had hatched them. She did this on her own one other time out in the coop, she just moved in on a broody with new chicks and started 'helping' and eventually took over completely...this hen is worth ber weight in gold to us!

 

[WVduckchick]

@fisherlady great pics and awesome Brownie! I have one hen that I think will be like that. Or at least I know which one I will try, if I am ever in that position. Her name is Mocha, she is a chocolate orpington. This is Mocha and her sister Cocoa with their bunch from late July. Cocoa got sick a while ago and I had to put her down.

 

[LadyBehir]

People who raise meat turkeys, a few questions. I am sure the taste is better. But is it economical to do this on a small suburban lot? Can they stay with the chickens? How long from hatch to harvest? How many per year do you do? We could eat a lot of turkey. I mean, like 26 in a year! Or more. Husband really likes turkey. What are the best breeds for small backyards?

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Today is the day! My son and 3 others are representing Pennsylvania in Poultry Judging at the National Egg and Poultry Conference. We're in Kentucky, I really hope PA comes out on top, Georgia, California and Indiana give us some stiff competition. Please send good vibes their way!!

Good luck!

Here are some pictures to warm us up on a cold morning...

Jo hatched again on Saturday, 5 barnyard mixes...she is teaching them the art of begging already!

Congrats on the babies! You and your broody army. I don't know how you keep up with those girls!

 

[fisherlady]

Good luck!
Congrats on the babies! You and your broody army. I don't know how you keep up with those girls!

Thanks, actually DH keeps a log book of sorts... a clipboard hangs in the coop, it has papers he printed up with entry slots for broody's name, date set, date hatched, how many eggs of which breeds set and hatched....and a space for notations.
She is #26 I think this year and Janeway is due Thankgiving with her hatch.

 

[fisherlady]

@fisherlady great pics and awesome Brownie! I have one hen that I think will be like that. Or at least I know which one I will try, if I am ever in that position. Her name is Mocha, she is a chocolate orpington. This is Mocha and her sister Cocoa with their bunch from late July. Cocoa got sick a while ago and I had to put her down.

Thanks, sorry to hear you lost Cocoa, I know how special it is to watch co-broodies. I'm glad you still have Mocha to hatch for you!

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Quote:
So adorable!! The council is satisfied!

Quote:
So what is the difference? I definitely want to raise my own for butchering eventually. I want to start this year with meat chickens and see how I fare.

Today is the day! My son and 3 others are representing Pennsylvania in Poultry Judging at the National Egg and Poultry Conference. We're in Kentucky, I really hope PA comes out on top, Georgia, California and Indiana give us some stiff competition. Please send good vibes their way!!

You must be so proud!

Here are some pictures to warm us up on a cold morning...






Jo hatched again on Saturday, 5 barnyard mixes...she is teaching them the art of begging already!

Thank you for the lovely pictures!

@fisherlady great pics and awesome Brownie! I have one hen that I think will be like that. Or at least I know which one I will try, if I am ever in that position. Her name is Mocha, she is a chocolate orpington. This is Mocha and her sister Cocoa with their bunch from late July. Cocoa got sick a while ago and I had to put her down.

That's awesome. I'm hoping to end up with a couple broodies from my new flock. I had to start over.

Quote: That's an excellent idea! Just a clipboard in the coop. I'll have to try that eventually. That's amazing that your girl Brownie just adopted those chicks! So sh wasn't broody right then, but saw the chicks and took them under her wing?

I have the two old silkie girls, they are estimated at 6-7 years old. I don't believe that they've ever hatched out eggs, but the owner said the one has gone broody before. I think being a Momma is on her bucket list!

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/grd/5868651347.html

Duck pond? Brooder? Pool? I'm so tempted to pick this up.....

 

[fisherlady]

So adorable!! The council is satisfied!

So what is the difference?  I definitely want to raise my own for butchering eventually.  I want to start this year with meat chickens and see how I fare.
      You must be so proud!


Thank you for the lovely pictures!

That's awesome.  I'm hoping to end up with a couple broodies from my new flock.  I had to start over. 
That's an excellent idea! Just a clipboard in the coop.  I'll have to try that eventually.  That's amazing that your girl Brownie just adopted those chicks!  So sh wasn't broody right then, but saw the chicks and took them under her wing?   I have the two old silkie girls, they are estimated at 6-7 years old.  I don't believe that they've ever hatched out eggs, but the owner said the one has gone broody before.  I think being a Momma is on her bucket list!    

No, Brownie wasn't broody at the time, but ever since she stole (I'm sure she felt she was just helping) the chicks from the other hen the first time last winter she has always been a very good 'Auntie' to any young chicks in the coop, frequently hanging out with the other broodies and sharing food with the chicks. She raise a clutch of 12 this spring and kept them till they were like 10 or 12 weeks old. She may have started late but she really seemes to enjoy being a broody.
She was a bit puzzled the night we brought her in but she let the chicks hide under her and was being very patient with them so we hoped...the next morning she actually laid an egg while she had the chicks under her in the nest we had provided. We did put a Brinsea heat plate in the cage in another corner so the chicks could go under it if they wanted but after the first day I don't think they ever used it. By the second day she was calling them for food and by the third day she was full out broody attitude and was walking around all puffed up and screeching if anyone got close to her, in particular the roosters.
We have a lot of broodies but I think there are only a couple I would ever even begin to consider adopting to like that, we were actually pretty dumbfounded that it really kicked in like it did. She hasn't laid an egg now since the day after she got the chicks....and they are now around 7 weeks I think. So her hormones really did completely shift or she would have continued egging. We will surely miss her when she finally goes...

 

[fisherlady]

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/grd/5868651347.html

Duck pond? Brooder?  Pool?   I'm so tempted to pick this up.....

We use the plastic kiddie pools as brooders, with an inch or so of sand in them they are great for a broody and chicks for a week or so and the meat birds stayed in one for about 10 days....
If you have the room to store it I would say check the asking price for a new one and go for it. Lots of uses for something like that when raising birds!